Customer Reviews

Loyalty Demands Dissent

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On 26 April 1995, the eminent Thai social critical and writer, Sulak Sivaraksa, wes declared innocent of charges of lese majeste and defaming the former military strongman, Suchinda Kraprayoon. The final decision by the court to hear this case was almost simultaneously followed by Sulak's nomination for the Bobel Peace Prize, inviting obnoxious but inevitable comparisons between Thailand and the military junta's suppression of Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma (Myamar). This book is Sulak's autobiography as well as memories. From my viewpoint, nevertheless, this book deserves to be an important reference for those who explore the socio-political changes and democratisation in modern Thailand.

Also recommended: David Streckfuss, ed.,1996. Modern Thai Monarchy and Cultural Politics - The Acquittal of Sulak Sivaraksa on the Charge of Lese Majeste in Siam 1995 and Its Consequences, Bangkok, Santi Pracha Dhamma Institute.

This is one of the best books by Sulak. It is not only exciting to learn about his narrow escape from the threat from the military dictatorship in 1991, but also interesting to learn about this man's fight for social justice and democracy both domestically and globally. Daring to criticise the revered monarchy, he is undoubtedly the most frank and outspoken among the Thai social critics.

The foreword is given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.